"Who does he think he is?" - Comedian shares why LeBron James' jersey antic with Zlatan Ibrahimovic didn't sit well with $190 million star
LeBron James and Zlatan Ibrahimovic are without question two of the most well-known professional athletes in the world. When it comes to basketball, few can deny the impact James has had on the game, earning him consideration as the greatest of all time. Similarly, Ibrahimovic is regarded as one of the greatest footballers in history.
Ibrahimovic, though, wasn't a big fan of LeBron James' decision to send him a jersey in the mail. The move was intended by James to be a gesture from one great to another. However, instead of sending James a jersey in return, Zlatan did something very on-brand.
He signed LeBron James' jersey, and then shipped it back to the NBA star, prompting a hilarious response from comedian Andrew Schulz. When Schulz ran into Zlatan Ibrahimovic at the UFC 294 event in Abu Dhabi this past weekend, the footballer recalled Schulz being amused by his decision to sign James' jersey.
In a recent episode of his 'Flagrant' podcast, Schulz spoke about the run-in:
"He goes, 'you like that jersey thing don't you?' I'm like 'of course!' I was like 'Dude I love it' he goes 'If he come to me with the jersey obviously I don't do this I give him a jersey, we train, but to mail me a jersey not in person who does he think he is?'"
Looking back at LeBron James and Zlatan Ibrahimovic's past disagreement
Although Zlatan Ibrahimovic was willing to exchange jerseys with LeBron James in person, the two had previously found themselves at odds. Over the years, LeBron James has been an avid supporter of social justice campaigns.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic had previously named Muhammad Ali as his favorite athlete due to the things he did both in and outside of the ring. Despite that, he isn’t a fan of athletes getting involved in politics.
Several years ago, he criticized James for frequently voicing his opinion on political issues and social justice issues. As he explained in a press conference for the San Remo Music Festival:
"Athletes unite the world, politics divide it. Our role is to unite the world by doing what we do best. Athletes should be athletes and politicians should do politics."
The comments didn’t sit well with James, who was quick to fire back by defending his activism. As he told the media members at the time:
"I will never shut up about things that are wrong. I preach about my people and I preach about equality, social justice, racism, voter suppression – things that go on in our community."
So far, it’s unclear whether the two athletes have spoken privately about the disagreement. Based on Ibrahimovic’s latest comments, it sounds as though besides a jersey swap, the legendary footballer is willing to sort out his disagreements with James.